Royal Commissions Amendment (Protection of Information) 2021

✦ Plain-English Summary

# Royal Commissions Amendment (Protection of Information) 2021

## What it does

This law changes how Royal Commissions can protect sensitive information from being made public. It clarifies who gets to decide when information should stay confidential — making sure decisions are made by the right person or group depending on how the commission is structured. It also adds special rules for protecting information given to the Disability Royal Commission.

## Why it matters

Royal Commissions investigate serious issues (abuse, misconduct, disaster) and people often share private or sensitive details. This law makes it clearer when that information can be kept private, which could encourage people to speak up knowing their details won't necessarily become public.

## Key details

- **Who decides:** If a commission has one commissioner, that person decides. If there are multiple commissioners, either the chair or the majority can make the call — creating clearer authority instead of confusion.

- **Commencement:** The law came into effect the day after it received Royal Assent (no phase-in period).

- **Special protection for disability commission:** The Disability Royal Commission (investigating violence and abuse of people with disabilities) gets specific confidentiality rules, recognising that victims often need extra privacy protection.

Official Description

Amends the: Royal Commissions Act 1902 to: apply limitations on the use and disclosure of certain information provided by individuals to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability outside of a private session, where the commission indicated that it would be treated as confidential; enable certain members of a Royal Commission to make non-publication directions; and enable a Commonwealth Royal Commission, during the course of inquiring into a matter, to communicate information and evidence to a Royal Commission, or commission of inquiry, of a state or territory; and Freedom of Information Act 1982 to exempt certain information given to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability from the operation of the Act.

Full bill PDF →APH page →

Audit History

Introduced

17 Mar 2021

Last updated on APH

10 Apr 2026

Outcome date

10 Sept 2021

Last checked by Crossbench

2 days ago

Full text indexed

2 days ago

🗳️

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

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